Trans United for Obama Congratulates Transgender Delegates
Posted by helenboyd – August 28, 2012

http://www.myhusbandbetty.com/2012/08/28/trans-united-for-obama-congratulates-transgender-delegates/

WASHINGTON, August 28 – As Democrats from all over convene in Charlotte, NC to nominate Barack Obama for reelection as President, there will be at least 11 transgender people in official roles.

[...]

In 2000, Jane Fee of Minnesota was the first transgender delegate to the Democratic National Convention. In 2004, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas sent transgender people in their delegation to Boston. In 2008, "gender identity" was included in the Democratic platform at the Denver National Convention and Arizona, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Texas sent delegates. Now, in 2012, we have our largest and most diverse contingent of openly transgender delegates.

In 2009, the DNC added "Gender Identity" as a characteristic of full inclusion within the party. The language of the 2012 Democratic Platform will be fully inclusive of transgender people's civil rights.

The 2012 transgender Americans who are part of official DNC Convention are:

    Barbra Casbar Siperstein of New Jersey, Super Delegate (member of the Executive Committee of the DNC)
    Dana Beyer, M.D. of Maryland (Credentials Committee)
    Kylar William Broadus of Missouri (Platform Committee)
    Janice Covington of North Carolina (Delegate, 8th Cong. Dist.)
    Cris Land of Oregon (Delegate, 1st Cong. Dist)
    Daria Lynn Lohman of Arizona (Delegate Alternate for AZ)
    Marisa Richmond of Tennessee (At Large Delegate for TN)
    Diego Miguel Sanchez of Massachusetts (At Large Delegate for MA)
    Jamie Dianne Shiner of Wisconsin (Delegate, 8th Cong. Dist.)
    Melissa Sklarz of New York (Credentials Committee)
    Meghan Stabler of Texas (Delegate, 5th Cong. Dist.)

According to the GreenPapers.com, there will be 5,552 "delegate votes" cast at the Democrat National Convention.  There will actually be more delegates than that, as some delegates cast just 1/2 vote each.

The Washington Blade reports that "5,963 delegates are set to come to Charlotte," of which "at least 470 [are] openly LGBT delegates."

This represents a milestone for transgender rights and inclusion. In the US, until a group and its allies become openly involved and influential in the political process, its civil rights are liable to be highjacked whenever pols believe pandering to hate groups will get them votes and contributions. Black americans, american women, and now LGBT americans, have achieved protection for their rights through political involvement, and not just in the courts. The journey will be long but it has begun. We are making allies faster than the haters can create more hate.

Awesome, this made me smile.